Straight from Blockstack: “We want to enable developers to build high-quality decentralized apps and learn about our tools for decentralized auth and decentralized storage. … Blockstack is a developer-centric community and platform; we believe the new website better represents the mission of the project.” 

Some of the featured changes include:

• Easy to find tutorials for how to get started
• Short feature comparison between Firebase and Blockstack
• Links to various technical details and components of the Blockstack network
• Information for developers to get funding
• Featured apps built on Blockstack

A new website with a clear focus.  Blockstack is trying to position the ecosystem for the upcoming Stacks token and blockchain deployment.  But, in order to enable the app economy Blockstack envisions, it needs to provide the technical and developer community the most support and tools necessary to make the Blockstack vision come to fruition.  Well, the re-focused website is a start in what it believes to be in the right direction.  

Some additional screenshots for the new Blockstack website are shown below.

If you are a developer, and interested in developing decentralized applications (app(s)) for the Blockstack, ecosystem, this new website is for you.

Note: If you do not have the Blockstack browser, please see this link (note – to enable the full functionality of any namespace (name/domain name) or dApp built for the Blockstack ecosystem (e.g., building a new internet, a decentralized internet, re-decentralizing the internet, that is distributed via the blockchain, bitcoin), you must use the Blockstack browser).

Download the Blockstack Browser

For help on installing and using the Blockstack Browser, please visit this link Getting started with the Blockstack Browser.

For a more in depth look into the Blockstack Browser, please visit these links – Inside the Blockstack Browser and Blockstack Browser: It does that?

Resources re: Blockstack and dApps

• Blockstack
• @blockstack
  • @blockstackapps
• Developers
  • Introduction
    • • Papers
      • Videos
    • Tutorials
      • (e.g., todo and multi-player storage)
    • Installation
    • Github
      • Javascript
      • Core API
• Blog
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Blockstack Meetups
• Earn Rewards in Stacks – Community Contribution to Blockstack

Thanks again for visiting The Stack Cafe^TM and we look forward to hearing from you.

Please help us put out the word on Web^{3.0 TM} (web 3 or web 3.0) by posting a comment below and signing up for e-mail notifications for future updates (right side-bar).

Let’s help build the new internet | The Decentralized Way^TM.  A decentralized internet | The Way The Future^TM.  Web^{3.0 TM} makes the internet you use better! ^TM

The post Blockstack Website – Updated to Focus on the Developer appeared first on The Stack Cafe™.

Welcome to the Developer’s corner (not only for developers though)… In this post, and subsequent posts related to this series, we will try and explore some of the tools that either have been developed and implemented, are on the whiteboard for development, or are already in the development process for developers (and others) to build the decentralized applications (dApps) that can be used on the decentralized internet.  Here is what we gleaned from the engineering meeting held earlier this week.

The main takeaway: Blockstack on Mobile Devices – On Boarding via SDK’s

It appears that the road map for development of the mobile plan for Blockstack will be rolled out in phases throughout 2018 – most likely at the end of Q2 and sometime in Q3.  At a high level, the [sg_popup id=”11″ event=”hover”]development road map[/sg_popup] includes:

Mobile SDK (make it easier for developers to build dApps to on-board users (on-boarding karma))

• Authentication
  • dApps that integrate with the Blockstack SDK for [sg_popup id=”10″ event=”hover”]iOS[/sg_popup] or Android will be able to open a webview in their app to easily authenticate in the new application opened (more on-boarding karma).
• Native Blockstack apps
  • build native iOS and Android apps that bring the Blockstack browser functionality including profile management, wallet, storage management… to mobile devices

The plan is for Blockstack to build SDK’s for the major OSs – Android and iOS (apple) to make it simpler for the developers to make it easier for the user to get on-board (install, use, etc.) with Blockstack (use browser, mobile, webview).  In other words, the SDK is a very effective tool for developers to improve the “on-boarding” process for users. 

Blockstack wants to make the best first impression with new users and also wants to make each subsequent interaction the user has with Blockstack a great experience.  The bottom line is that the SDK should/will help the developers and Blockstack keep all of its customers very happy since the product – Blockstack (browser, mobile etc.) – is easy to use with a great user interface.  Blockstack wants to make the user experience easy, simple and effective.

The last thing Blockstack wants a potential user or user of any of the Blockstack’s products (computer, mobile…) is to do this*:

[This post contains video, click to play]

We know the team and community at Blockstack do not want anyone feeling like this poor fellow over at Bloomberg.  But if you do, please reach out and we will try and help ameliorate some of the pain.  And, it goes without saying, we too hope you do not feel like that while visiting The Stack Cafe^TM.  If you do, please let us know and we will see what we can do to help you.

Note: If you do not have the Blockstack browser, please see this link (note – to enable the full functionality of any dApp built for the Blockstack ecosystem (e.g., building a new internet, a decentralized internet, re-decentralizing the internet) you need to use the Blockstack browser).

For more on All things Developer^TM, see this link here.  For more on the engineering meeting at Blockstack, please visit the forum.

Thanks again for visiting The Stack Cafe^TM and we look forward to hearing from you. Please help us put out the word on Web^3.0 by posting a comment below and signing up for e-mail notifications for future updates (right side-bar).  Let’s help build the new internet | The Decentralized Way^TM.  A decentralized internet | The Way The Future^TM.

* Source: from Internet archive via www.bloomberg.com

The post Blockstack: Developers Corner… New Tools Coming Soon – Mobile Plan for “On-Boarding” via SDK’s appeared first on The Stack Cafe™.

And, in order to have applications to use/run on the ecosystem, you need an idea for a decentralized application (e.g., P2P Encrypted Messaging, Community Messaging, Word Processing, Cryptocurrency Portfolios…) and then a developer to build the decentralized application.  Welcome to the Developer’s corner (not only for developers though)…

In this post, and subsequent posts related to this series, we will try and explore some of the tools created for developers (and others) to build the decentralized applications (dApps) that can be used on the decentralized internet.  

To begin with, Blockstack is probably a developer’s dream come true.  By that, we mean Blockstack is making it a lot easier for developers to build decentralized applications for use on the Blockstack ecosystem. 

How did Blockstack make it a little easier, well they setup the kitchen (architecture and infrastructure) with almost everything the cook (developer) needs to create the dish (decentralized application – dApp).  The kitchen – Blockstack’s ecosystem, includes (among many other items):

• a decentralized domain name system (DNS)(it is called BNS)
• a decentralized public key distribution system
• a registry for applications (dApps)
• a registry for user identities
• a decentralized storage system
• tokens…

so the cook (developer) can bake (build) some wonderful creations (dApps).  Below, you will find a couple of different diagrams (e.g., stack for decentralized applications & how blockstack works) laying out the major components – blockchain, virtualchain, routing layer and storage layer – of the Blockstack architecture:

It is all there – the Blockstack infrastructure described above, provides a lot of the tools that a developer might need to build decentralized applications for use on the Blockstack ecosystem.  And, by providing some of the tools needed to build decentralized applications, Blockstack has enabled the developer to more easily build a dApp.  For example, the 

• developer can use java-script (and libraries) to build a single page application(s)
  • that does not plug into the front-end of a centralized API
    • but one that plugs into an API run by the user (as the API is pre-built and runs on the user’s device)
• developer does not have to worry about
  • running servers
  • maintaining databases
  • building out user management systems because:
    • the applications are server-less and decentralized
    • users bring their own storage
    • user/applications use public-key cryptography for authentication
    • the developer’s of the application and the application itself do not have to store anything

To make it even easier, Blockstack also includes libraries and step-by-step tutorials (e.g., identity, storage, tokens (coming soon)) for the developer, hacker, hobbyist and others to build decentralized applications. 

All of this looks so good that we might try and build a decentralized application too.  All kidding aside (not really though), it looks like Blockstack has put forth a complete package so developing decentralized applications should be a lot easier.  In addition, Blockstack has put together a great team in case a question should arise.   And, to top it off, everything Blockstack ecosystem is an open source community project.  So, not only is Blockstack there to help, the open source community of developers, hackers, users and supporters, and others  – already participating in the environment –  are helping out too (e.g. forums, meet-ups, code/programing feedback, testing…).  

Please find below, some links that might be most helpful as you learn more about Blockstack’s tools for developing a decentralized application for use on Blockstack.

Resources re: Blockstack and dApps

• Blockstack
• @blockstack
  • @blockstackapps
• Developers
  • Introduction
    • Papers
    • Videos
    • Tutorials
      • (e.g., todo and multi-player storage)
    • Installation
    • Github
      • Javascript
      • Core API
• Blog
• Frequently Asked Questions

And, if all of the above wasn’t enough, Blockstack and the Blockstack Signature fund have sprinkled a little powdered sugar on top with the dApp bounties – Blockstack: $50,000 Bounty for Messaging Applications.  Bounties – One aspect of promoting the Blockstack ecosystem is to provide a platform to help support the global community of developers, designers, and others to submit their ideas and products for a chance to win a prize (e.g., decentralized application(s), dApp, dApps on the Web 3.0).

Note: If you do not have the Blockstack browser, please see this link (note – to enable the full functionality of any dApp built for the Blockstack ecosystem (e.g., building a new internet, a decentralized internet, re-decentralizing the internet) you need to use the Blockstack browser).

Thanks again for visiting The Stack Cafe^TM and we look forward to hearing from you. Please help us put out the word on Web^3.0 by posting a comment below and signing up for e-mail notifications for future updates (right side-bar).  Let’s help build the new internet | The Decentralized Way^TM.  A decentralized internet | The Way The Future^TM.

The post Blockstack: Developers Corner… appeared first on The Stack Cafe™.

The grid above shows the inter-connected nodes or computers connecting to each other to form the decentralized internet network/grid to send/receive information or data in the early 1970’s.  The images below show how computers talk to one another (via the layer or protocol stack and packets). (See – “How The Internet Works?” – published on Stanford University’s website.)

TWO COMPUTERS CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET

PROTOCOL STACKS AND PACKETS

Today, the modern internet (some 20+ years old from the introduction of “www”) is far more complex in its size and implementation.  Presently, some parts of the internet are decentralized (hardware, IP and TCP) while the application layer (stack) – in particular, has become more and more centralized (e.g., more data controlled by fewer and fewer companies – think social media, search, devices, online commerce, walled-gardens…). The current system with all of the good things is not completely fulfilling its original vision – full decentralization (i.e., we should own our data…). And, apparently, some other people and companies believe the same thing.

One company in particular – BlockStack, and the people involved with Blockstack – its team, its investors, its open source community of developers, its users and its open support community – appear to believe in a fully decentralized internet (read the Blockstack documents e.g., white paper…).

Basically, it appears that Blockstack wants to re-decentralize the internet, in particular – the application layer (stack) of the internet (e.g., see – Blockstack and its documents e.g., white paper…). Blockstack’s team and others, are working tirelessly to bring us new tools, infrastructure and applications – with a tie-in to the distributed ledger or blockchain.  And with these new tools, Blockstack enables the user to own his/her/its data and maintain and protect his/her/its privacy and security (e.g., encrypted decentralized storage, authentication & identity).  How is Blockstack doing this?  Well, not to go to far into the stack, Blockstack is developing key tools and infrastructure so that software developers and programmers (coders) can build single-page applications (dApps – (e.g., in javascript) in which the user controls not only his/her identity & authentication (e.g., think encrypted identification) but is also in control where and how his/her information (data) is stored on the decentralized internet.

So one might envision – one universal form of encrypted identification that is unique to the user that allows the user to securely participate in a decentralized internet and control his/her data that is generated from using the decentralized internet (e.g., imagine an internet with no middlemen, no passwords, and no massive centralized data repositories to breach).

Just imagine, if you have control (e.g., identity, data, storage and it is secure) and not the centralized companies, the possibilities appear to go on and on…  And, just like the early days of the network/internet (see above image from 1973), Blockstack is at the early stage of building the re-decentralized internet.

Please go see for yourself – visit Blockstack – and visit here again for updates and information on, among other things, Blockstack’s vision for the re-decentralization of the internet and the stack.

Here is a screenshot of Blockstack’s home page at www.blockstack.org.

Note: If you do not have the Blockstack browser, please see this link (note – to enable the full functionality of any dApp built for the Blockstack ecosystem (e.g., building a new internet, a decentralized internet, re-decentralizing the internet) you need to use the Blockstack browser).

Thanks again for visiting The Stack Cafe^TM and we look forward to hearing from you. Please help us put out the word on Web^3.0 by posting a comment below and signing up for e-mail notifications for future updates (right side-bar). Let’s help build the new internet | The Decentralized Way^TM. A decentralized internet | The Way The Future^TM.

^* Licklider 1960’s

The post The Internet (Centralized and the Decentralized?) appeared first on The Stack Cafe™.